Improvement in school-seats



W. F. SPENCER.

SCHOOL-SEATS.

No.179,877. Patented J ulyw, 1876.

0x .WYMQW.

N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITMOGRAPNER. WASH UIvrrED Sra'ras PATENT Genoa WILLIAM F. SPENCER, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SCHOOL-SEATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. I 79,877, dated July 18, 1876; application filed November 20, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. SPENCER, of Richmond, in the county of \Vayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in School-Desks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to school-desks-tnore particularly to what is known as the combined seat and desk-the seats ofwhich are hinged so as to turn up when not required for use.

The invention consists in certain improvements in the construction and operation of the hinge, by means of which all the wear and pressure are removed from the pivot-bolts, so that they cannot work loose and drop out, and by means of which the wear resnltiu g from the friction of the hinge is compensated, so that the seat will always be maintained in proper position, and will not get loose and rattle in its bearings.

It also consists in a combined stop and bearing-plate on the standard, which operates in combination with curved projections on the seat-arm, by means of which the seat is retained and supported without strain or pressure upon its hinges, either when raised or lowered, and by means of which the noise usually resulting from the raising and lowering of the seat is avoided, the operation being accomplished without shock or jar, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accon'ipanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a seatartn and portion of the standard to which it is hinged, seen from the outer side. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the inner side of the seat-arm with its curved or cam-shaped stops, and the standard with its'coinbined stop and bearingplate. Fig. 3is a detached view of the pivot bolt and nut in perspective. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the conical sleeve; and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, showing the parts in position. Fig. 6 is a similar View, showing a modification of the arrangement of the parts.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the portion of one of the sides or standards, to and between which the seat is hinged or pivoted. B represents one of the seat-arms or brackets to which the seat is secured. The upper portion a of. the standard A is made circular or in the form of a disk, its outer surface being symmetrical and ornamental, as desired. Its inner surface is partially cut away, so as to form an arcshaped recess, a. a is the bolt-hole formed centrally through the disk a, square or angular in form.

The seat-arni B is made with acorresponding disk, I), through which is a circular opening, I), of conical form, its greatest diameter being on the inner side of the seatarm. 0 is a bolt, made square or angular in its cross-section, and having a rounded head, 0, on one end, and a screw or thread, 0, on its other end. 1) is a conical block or sleeve, having a square or angular hole through its center corresponding to the form of the bolt 0. E is a nut on the threaded end of the bolt 0. G is a plate or projectionon theinner side of the standard A, its upper face formed into curved bearings g g, which may bethe arcs of circles of different centers uniting to form a ridge, 9, or two inclined planes, united in a similar manner. I is a lateral projection on the face of the seat-arm B, having an inner arc-shaped face, i, and radial beveled sides 71. J J are projections on the seat-arm, of curved or camshaped form.

lu putting the parts together the bolt G is passed through the angular hole a of the disk a. The seat-arm B is then placed in position, the side having the lateral projection I being next the inner side of the disk at, so that said projection will tit into the recess a,- the bolt 0 passing through the conical hole I). The conical sleeve or bearing-block D is then fitted into the conical hole I), the square or angular portion of the bolt passing into a correspondingly-fornied hole in the bearingblock. The nut E is then screwed onto the threaded end 0 of the bolt 0 until it impinges on the outer face of the conical block with sufficient force to make the hinge work with the required degree of resistance.

In operation the conical sleeves or blocks 1) constitute the journals or pivots upon. which the sea-t turns, all strain or wear coming on their outer surfaces and the corresponding portions of the seat-arms. As these surfaces wear, through friction, the conical blocks will move inwardly, thereby compensating for the wear. The bolts 0, not being themselves the pivots, all danger of the strip-' ping of the screws or the nuts working loose and dropping off, is obviated.

I have shown the bolts as made square in their cross-section; but they may be of any other form which will prevent their turning. I have also shown the conical recess for the reception of the conical block, as formed in the seat-arm; but, as will be obvious, it may be formed in the disk at of the standard A, the threaded end of the bolt passing through, and its angular portion passinginto, a square or angular hole in the seat-arm, the nut in such case hearing against the side of the seatarm. This modification in the arrangement of the parts is clearly shown by Fig. 6 of the drawings. I prefer, however, the arrangement first described, and shown in the drawings herewith.

As the seat is turned up or down the lateral projection I on the seat-arm, which fits into the arc-shaped recess a on the standard, will operate as a stop to limit the motion of the seat in either direction, the sides of the projection coming in contact with the ends of the recess. Rubber blocks may be inserted at the points of contact, so as to prevent noise and unnecessary wear of the parts where they come together.

It will also be seen that as the seat is raised or lowered the cam-shaped or curved projections J J on the seat arm, one or other,

will come in contact with one of the. bearingany sudden jar or noise as the parts come together.

When the seat has come to its bearings the bearing-plate G supports the weight, thereby removingall strain from the hinges while the seat is being used, or when it is in an elevated position, the only wear or strain upon the hinge that ever takes place being at the time or during the operation of raising and lowering the seat. 3

The improved hinge herein described will, of course. be applicable to settees and other articles of furniture besides school-desks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The removable conical sleeve or hearingblock D, in combination with a rectangular bolt, 0, operating as a hinge, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the standard Aand seat arm or bracket B, the rectangular bolt 0 and removable conical sleeve or bearing-block D, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The bearing-plate Gr, operating in combin-ation with the seat-arm B, having curved or cam-shaped projections J J, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. WILLIAM F. SPENCER.

Witnesses D. G. STUART, GEo. R. MILBURN. 

